The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.
In an image forming apparatus, it is general to provide each of consumption articles such as a toner cartridge and an image forming unit with a memory that stores adjustment information, use history and the like of the consumption article. The image forming apparatus is controlled to carry out optimal image forming operation by reading information from the memories of the consumption articles and putting the variations and so on of the consumption articles into consideration.
The image forming apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,701,402 updates the information of the memory provided on the main body at any time so that the information coincides with the information of the memories of the consumption articles, and inhibits the image forming operation when the information read from the memories of the consumption articles does not coincide with the information stored in the memory of the main body.
The memories of the consumption articles sometimes cause an access failure because of defective electrical contact or the like. The image forming apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 5,701,402 has had a problem that, when an access failure to the memory of a consumption article occurs, the image forming operation has been indiscriminately inhibited and the user has been required to carry out troubleshooting.